Richard Caliguiri
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
Richard Caliguiri | |
|---|---|
Peter Flaherty | |
| Succeeded by | Sophie Masloff |
| President of the Pittsburgh City Council | |
| In office March 14, 1977[2] – April 11, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Louis Mason |
| Succeeded by | Eugene "Jeep" DePasquale |
| Member of the Pittsburgh City Council | |
| In office December 21, 1970 – April 11, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | J. Craig Kuhn |
| Succeeded by | Michelle Madoff |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 20, 1931 Democratic |
| Spouse | Jeanne Caligiuri |
| Children | David Caligiuri Gregg Caligiuri |
| Profession | City Parks Director; City Council President |
Richard S. Caliguiri (October 20, 1931 – May 6, 1988) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1977 until his death in 1988.
Early career
Caliguiri was of Italian Arbëresh ancestry,[3] and grew up in the City of Pittsburgh's Greenfield neighborhood.[4] He started his public service career in the CitiParks department of Pittsburgh, later running for the city council in the early 1970s. Caliguiri first ran for mayor as a longshot in 1973, but lost the
Mayor of Pittsburgh
Caliguiri won the mayor's office substantively in an election later in 1977, and was re-elected twice, serving until his death in 1988. Under Caliguiri's leadership, Pittsburgh began its "Renaissance II" plan,[5] an urban renewal and revitalization plan based on the "Renaissance" plan of former mayor and governor David L. Lawrence. The plan was generally considered a success (especially with the city's skyline)[6] but was hampered by a sharp and permanent downturn in the city's economy and resulting population shifts.
During Caliguri's tenure, Pittsburgh's economy began a marked downturn during the
In 1986, in response to some citizen complaints and legal action by the
Illness and death
In the late 1980s, Caliguiri was diagnosed with
Caliguiri refused to allow his declining health to affect his leadership and did not step down as mayor. He died in 1988 at the age of 56, and was interred in Pittsburgh's Roman Catholic
Honors
In October 1990, a commemorative statue of Caliguiri sculpted by
Film career
Caliguiri is spotlighted in a cameo playing himself in the sport/cult classic The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh in 1979. Near the middle of the film he is seen on the extreme right introducing to a cheering crowd the city's basketball team at an indoor rally. He slips off camera for a few seconds and then is seen again patting them on the back and shaking hands with the actors and coach, before he extends across the crowd to shake Julius Erving's hand (one of the "actors" on the team) and is met warmly by a surprised Dr. J.
On May 18, 1987 Caliguiri was a guest on a national broadcast of
Electoral history
- 1977 Race for Pittsburgh Mayor
- Richard Caliguiri (I), 48%
- Thomas Foerster(D), 44%
- Joseph Cosetti (R), 9%
- 1981 Race for Pittsburgh Mayor
- Richard Caliguiri (D), 80%
- Fred Goehringer (R), 18%
- 1985 Race for Pittsburgh Mayor
- Richard Caliguiri (D), 77%
- Henry Sneath (R), 22%
References
- ^ Warner, David (April 11, 1977). "Pete Out in Mayor Switch". The Pittsburgh Press. p. A-1.
- ^ Warner, David (February 17, 1977). "Caliguiri Favored As New Council Head". The Pittsburgh Press. p. A-2. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- ^ "Italian Heritage - Popular Pittsburgh". February 11, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ "O'Connor tribute to be reminiscent of Caliguiri's". Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ Nilsson, David (March 11, 1980). "Progress building in city's renaissance II". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved October 30, 2018 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "After famine, an office space glut?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. February 23, 1982. Retrieved October 30, 2018 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "Who Killed Westinghouse? - Chapter 5: Coming Apart at the Seams". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ "Beaver County Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Allderdice Hall of Fame Ceremony is next week". Pittsburgh Public Schools. Archived from the original on February 22, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
